Atlanta Public Schools (APS) continued to show overall improvement on the College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI), according to the 2025 CCRPI data, released by the Georgia Department of Education.
The CCRPI includes five components: Content Mastery, Progress, Closing Gaps, Readiness, and – for high schools – Graduation Rate. APS scored 100 on the Closing Gaps component in elementary schools and improved Readiness and Content Mastery scores at all grade bands. Additionally, students with disabilities and who are economically disadvantaged made gains in 11 of 12 areas.
Principal Kristy Reese details how Kimberly Elementary School achieved its gains:
Q: What specific strategies or initiatives did your school implement that you believe contributed most to the CCRPI improvement?
A: This year, our school’s CCRPI success was driven by a clear and unwavering commitment to strengthening literacy for every learner. We began by fostering a culture of daily reading, encouraging all students to read consistently and log their minutes. This simple, schoolwide habit helped build stamina, ownership, and excitement around reading while giving teachers valuable insight into students’ engagement outside the classroom.
Q: Can you share examples of how your teachers are driving student growth and achievement, and any practices that have been particularly effective?
A: A major driver of our growth was the creation of a master schedule intentionally designed to maximize instructional impact. Every grade level received a full 120-minute literacy block, ensuring students had the time needed for deep, uninterrupted learning. We also aligned the schedules of support staff so that every teacher had an additional adult in the room during reading instruction, increasing opportunities for targeted support and closer attention to student needs.
Small-group instruction became a non-negotiable priority. By protecting this time in the schedule and equipping teachers with decodable readers for our early learners, we strengthened foundational skills and gave students the tools to apply phonics knowledge authentically. Across classrooms, teachers ensured their literacy blocks included phonics, phonemic awareness, morphology, comprehension, and writing every single day, reflecting a comprehensive and research-based approach to reading development.
Q: What is something impactful/innovative happening in the area of teaching and learning at your school that sets your school apart?
A: Data-driven personalization was also central to our success. We leveraged MAP Reading Growth data throughout the year to monitor progress, identify specific skill gaps, and set instructional goals. Students then engaged in personalized practice through MyPath, a digital learning platform directly informed by their MAP results. This allowed each student to work on exactly what they needed, accelerating growth and supporting mastery of key reading skills.
We are also proud to celebrate the outstanding work of our third-grade team, Shanterus Rose and Shamaudie McClendon. These teachers had the highest gains and played a pivotal role in our recognition as Literacy Leaders. Their dedication to small-group instruction, data-driven planning, and joyful engagement in literacy set a powerful example of excellence.
Q: What are your hopes or expectations for student achievement moving forward, and how do you plan to build on this recent success?
A: Through strategic scheduling, intentional instruction, targeted small-group work, and personalized learning, our school built a cohesive literacy ecosystem that empowered teachers and elevated student achievement. These collective efforts contributed meaningfully to our improvement on CCRPI and, more importantly, strengthened our students’ confidence and abilities as lifelong readers.
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